In a verdant oasis in the deserts of northern Mexico, Republican challenger Mitt Romney's Mormon cousins mourned his presidential election defeat on Tuesday as a lost opportunity to pull the US economy out of the doldrums.

Democrats narrowly won majority in the US Senate while Republicans retained the control of the House of Representatives, leaving newly-elected President Barack Obama to deal with a divided Congress once again.

Storm-battered New York and New Jersey ordered the evacuation of some areas devastated by deadly Superstorm Sandy as strong wind rain and sleet threatened to lash the region on Wednesday, closing parks and beaches and halting outside construction work.

China hopes that the new Obama administration would set a more constructive tone in crafting its China policy as it pointed out that US President Barack Obama's first term had seen ties 'effectively whittled down', state-run news agency Xinhua said.

Hailing the re-election of Barack Obama as US President, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi today expressed confidence that India and the US will work together for the larger good of humanity in the times to come.

Romney had promised green cards for all foreign students graduating in science and tech from US varsities; Obama not ready to go that far; But reversing brain drain now easier. Charu Sudan Kasturi reports.

President Barack Obama's re-election means he can sustain the strategic shift toward the Asia-Pacific started during his first term but the attention and resources the region gets may be hostage to instability in West Asia and budget battles in Washington.